Immigration continues to be a contentious topic in Washington and on the presidential campaign trail.Click to watch News 9's coverage.With an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, fixing a broken immigration system is high on the priority list for candidates on both sides of the aisle."The immigration fight could easily be one of the biggest issues of the campaign," political analyst Marc Sandalow said.One year after President Barack Obama announced a series of executive actions to protect as many as 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation, the plan is in legal limbo. Two federal judges ruled that the president overstepped his authority. The Obama Administration is appealing to the Supreme Court."People come here to survive and to improve their lives and to help their families," said Kelly Fay Rodriguez of the AFL-CIO.The AFL-CIO represents more than 50 labor unions nationwide. It said undocumented immigrants who are working and contributing to the economy should be granted protection from deportation."We've seen families be devastated," Rodriguez said. "Children who are born here, who are U.S. citizens, and their parents are taken away.""I disagree that there's this myopic choice between, we have to do nothing or deport everybody," said James Carafano of the Heritage Foundation.Carafano said that amnesty undermines reform. He said that getting serious about immigration requires enforcing existing laws, not creating new ones."We ought to make government work first," he said. "We ought to insist that government do its job on the border. We ought to insist that government enforce the laws that are on the books."Another part of the immigration debate is what to do with children who arrive at the U.S./Mexico border by themselves. Border Patrol officials said that more than 10,500 unaccompanied minors crossed the border in October and November this year.

WASHINGTON —

Immigration continues to be a contentious topic in Washington and on the presidential campaign trail.

With an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, fixing a broken immigration system is high on the priority list for candidates on both sides of the aisle.

"The immigration fight could easily be one of the biggest issues of the campaign," political analyst Marc Sandalow said.

One year after President Barack Obama announced a series of executive actions to protect as many as 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation, the plan is in legal limbo. Two federal judges ruled that the president overstepped his authority. The Obama Administration is appealing to the Supreme Court.

"People come here to survive and to improve their lives and to help their families," said Kelly Fay Rodriguez of the AFL-CIO.

The AFL-CIO represents more than 50 labor unions nationwide. It said undocumented immigrants who are working and contributing to the economy should be granted protection from deportation.

"We've seen families be devastated," Rodriguez said. "Children who are born here, who are U.S. citizens, and their parents are taken away."

"I disagree that there's this myopic choice between, we have to do nothing or deport everybody," said James Carafano of the Heritage Foundation.

Carafano said that amnesty undermines reform. He said that getting serious about immigration requires enforcing existing laws, not creating new ones.

"We ought to make government work first," he said. "We ought to insist that government do its job on the border. We ought to insist that government enforce the laws that are on the books."

Another part of the immigration debate is what to do with children who arrive at the U.S./Mexico border by themselves. Border Patrol officials said that more than 10,500 unaccompanied minors crossed the border in October and November this year.